The Old Order Passes Away
by Martin III
Summary: [SFG Final Conflict, SF2] Parenthood is always a big step.  For a now middleaged Ian, always more accustomed to the battlefield than to family, it may be an insurmountable one.  Rated T for adult themes,violence,and offensive language.
1. Chapter 1: Age

Author's Notes:

As always, this fic is not intended as alternate universe, _however_ it does make the assumption that Ian is Bowie's father. This assumption is supported by (1)the strong physical resemblance between the two, (2)NPCs in Shining Force II who say Bowie's father was "a great leader", and (3)Ian's being on Grans Island, Bowie's birthplace, at the end of Shining Force Gaiden III. However, I do realize that Camelot has not made any official statement on who Bowie's father is, so if they one day declare that Bowie is not Ian's son, this fic will have to be considered AU.

Technical Notes: The milieu and characters of this fanfic are property of Sega, with the exception of Abigail, who belongs to Martin III. This story is set roughly halfway between Shining Force Gaiden III: The Final Conflict and Shining Force II: Ancient Sealing.

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The Old Order Passes Away...

plot and script - Martin III

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Ian stepped back for a few moments to admire his handiwork. This was always the part he liked best: the sense of accomplishment. Back in his adventuring days, he'd wrecked a house or three. It felt good to be part of the process of rebuilding and growth. Surveying the house that he was chiefly responsible for building and designing, he smiled with pride.

The feeling dulled after just a moment or two, and he turned to head back to his employer's dwelling. Adam gathered up the tools and followed along.

He knocked at the door once, and it was almost immediately answered. "Your new house is done, sir."

The man and his family looked suitably happy that they wouldn't have to stay in his brother's now over-crowded house any longer. He led them to their new home, and after several minutes of looking around they approved of his handiwork. Once they had paid him, Ian set towards home with Adam at his side.

"Master Ian," the robot spoke. "Now that I have finished helping you with this major task, it is time I was on my way."

Ian looked at Adam in surprise; its abruptness never failed to startle him. "Where are you going?"

"Locale not specific; away from here."

"You're... leaving me? For good?"

"Yes. I sense anxiety in your voice, Master Ian."

"Well..." He looked to the ground, wiping his graying mop of hair about with his hand. "...I had kind of gotten used to having you around... Could I at least know why you're going?"

"It has truly been an honor to work with you, Master Ian," Adam said. "But things are not like they were when Master Max was alive; all my secondary directives have been fulfilled, and no new ones have taken their place. My prime directive dictates that I must continue looking until I find a proper objective."

"You know, Adam..." he turned to the robot, his eyes moderately widened with interest. "...you never told me what your prime directive is."

"I am sorry, Master Ian. My prime directive is not formulated in words."

_Damn. Those Ancients really were geniuses._ "Well, what are the... the conditions for its fulfillment?"

"My prime directive is not objective-based. It simply guides my behavior..."

A silence passed. "Sounds like your soul," Ian smiled, but with sentiment rather than humor.

"I am a machine, Master Ian; I have no soul."

"You don't understand... It's the same damn thing, just a different -" He stopped, and gave a weak chuckle. "We're just not very good at saying goodbye, are we?"

"I was not programmed for sentimentality. You have always been a master of your sword more than of your feelings."

"I'll miss you, Adam," Ian said, giving it a fierce hug about its torso. "You've got the kindest, bravest, truest prime directive of any machine I know."

"And you are a warrior without peer," Adam returned, returning the hug with less vigor - Ian's ribs, after all, were much easier to break. "As I stated, it has been a true honor."

As Adam walked away, Ian sighed to himself. "..._all my secondary directives have been fulfilled, and no new ones have taken their place"? Even a robot can see I'm a boring old-timer who's lost all his purpose._

But then, the change in him had happened so abruptly that he hadn't realized it until after the fact. For years he had fought against the hordes of evil, maintaining the name he'd earned for himself when he defeated Darksol. But when Max died(was it five years ago now? More than that, more likely), he became aware of his own mortality. All the great threats to Grans were vanquished, and he didn't want to die battling some anonymous demon or will o' the wisp. So Ian, leader of the great Shining Force... began to see about settling down.

In spite of his age, there were still plenty of beautiful young women sighing at him wherever he passed through. He picked out the prettiest little red-head from among them and set about the awkward and purely ceremonial task of wooing her. In retrospect it was a hasty choice, but at the time he hadn't felt the need for much evidence that she was the one for him. In the meantime, he apprenticed himself to a carpenter, having never been comfortable with the notion of living off of other people's gratitude. Before long, he and the lovely Kailena were wed. A few months later, he had mastered the craft of carpentry.

For a time, Ian was happier than he had been in many years. His work was fulfilling, his marital bed had a high level of activity, and he even reconnected with some of his old friends in the Shining Force whom he hadn't seen in years. And if Kailena was at all disillusioned with life being married to The Legendary Ian, she gave no sign.

After a couple of years, however, no children came forth from their marriage, and Ian's libido began to fade. His work started to feel more mundane and routine. Perhaps worst of all was the regrets... among other things, he wished that he had married someone less than 20 years younger than him. Kailena's youth was becoming an increasing source of humiliation for him and his greying hair. And the people of Granseal, who had at first treated him with wonder and awe, had come to see him as nothing more than an ordinary carpenter. Their attitude didn't bother him; on the contrary, he was relieved to be able to at last relax in anonymity. What bothered him was that they were right. The Legendary Ian had become just an ordinary man.

He kicked a stone out of his way. _Well. Nothing so amazing about that... we all have to grow old some time, I guess. Now it's my time to take life slow and quiet._

Ian sighed, gazing at his quaint little house. _Only I don't know how to deal with slow and quiet. Every part of me burns to swing my sword again, to tear a whirlwind of blood through the devils of the world, to do all the things that I've turned away from, the things I won't even be able to do in five years or so. _He shook his head. _Nature's way of punishing me for my reckless youth..._


	2. Chapter 2: Conception

Two weeks had passed since Adam's departure. Ian returned home from his latest job feeling in a good mood. Pushing open his front door, he called out, "Kaylee, I'm home!"

She came downstairs from the nursery - it had been built into the house, though it had since proved to be superfluous. _She's been doing her sewing up there an awful lot lately,_ Ian noted, a touch of concern for her mental health stirring in him. "You're home early," she said happily, giving him an eager kiss. He put his arm around her from force of habit.

"Yeah, that fence didn't take as long as I thought it would," he answered.

"I'm glad. There's... something I wanted to tell you." She took a step away.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just... I need to pull myself together." Kailena took a few deep breaths, holding a hand to her heart. Ian waited anxiously. At last she looked up to him with eyes filled with excitement, and said breathlessly, "Ian, I... I'm pregnant."

A long silence passed as he stared back into her eyes. Stupidly, he cast a quick glance down at her belly to confirm that it was as slim and supple as always.

"I... I'd been noticing all the signs," she explained, her smile leveling off. "And then Adam said that he sensed another human inside of me. He'd already told me he was going to leave us soon... I thought it would be too many shocks at once if I told you then. So... so I've been waiting, and... now seemed like a good time..." She toyed with a ringlet of her fiery hair. "I... I'd given up hope that this would ever happen... I guess it's kind of a surprise to you, too..." Another silence passed, and she blurted out, "Ian, say something!"

Oh, he had something he wanted to say, alright. But it wasn't fit for feminine ears, so he kept his mouth shut. At last he turned around and strode back out the door.

Kailena called out after him as he walked past his neighbor's house. He ignored her, walking out of town at a furious pace. When he heard her running to catch up, he broke into a run himself, diving into the woods outside Granseal.

Slowing to a walk along the forest path, he felt the sounds of home fade from his mind, enshrouded by the softer notes of nature. Encapsulated by that atmosphere, he could at last speak the words he'd wanted to say. "SON OF A #&!"

_Why didn't I think of this... of what it would mean!? What WAS I thinking, anyway?_

But he knew now. _Deep down, I was thinking the same damn coldhearted, practical thought as my bastard father: the need for a successor, someone to be the hero after I'm gone. And like my father, I never gave a thought to actually taking care of a son._

_15 years ago this would have made me the happiest man on Grans. But now... I don't know how to take care of a kid, and I'm too old and tired to learn. And how am I supposed to support him? I can barely keep food on the table for just me and Kaylee, now that I don't have Adam to help me anymore. Then there's the kid's training to think of. By the time he's old enough to wield a sword, I'll need a cane just to walk. I won't be able to carry him on my shoulders, spar with him, lead him into his first battle..._

_...be a father to him._

_Damn it, why didn't I think of any of this until now? Five years of trying to have a son, only to find that I don't want one at all._

He slumped down against a tree. It was over. His grand dream of living out his remaining years as a family man was over. The only thing left for him now was to go back to wandering the land, back to the life he'd known before this five year interlude had interrupted. Only this time there'd be no Adam or Max beside him. He'd live the life of an orphan for real now.

_And go down swinging, just like Uncle Max._

He made a smile. Not a happy smile, not a bitter smile; just a willing acceptance of the path he now had to follow. And he got to his feet.

There was just one problem: he was lacking in supplies. Besides the clothes on his back, he had nothing with him but his sword, and if not for his eccentric(by his own admission) habit of carrying it with him wherever he went, he wouldn't even have that. At first, Kailena had been amused by his taking it with him into bed, but after a couple weeks she began to complain about unstrapping the heavy thing, and with reluctance he began taking it off before going to bed. Ian grinned briefly as he remembered Kaylee's soft hands struggling to remove the lethal weapon so that she could get at his more desirable equipment - then shook his head to get his mind back to the present.

Looking around, he realized that he was well on his way to Yeel. Hawel could probably give him what he needed to go back to adventuring; the crafty wizard seemed to be doing rather well for himself. Without further thought, he set his steps towards Yeel.

----------------------

Hawel answered the knock at the door, then jumped back in surprise. "Ian! What are you doing here? I mean... excuse my manners... you didn't tell me you were coming."

"I know, I... need some help."

"Sounds serious," Hawel said, curling his lips into a gruff frown. "Well, come on in. Abigail! Ian's come for a surprise visit!"

Hawel's wife came in from the other room. "Ian! How have you been?"

"Well enough," Ian answered, looking away. "Hawel, can I talk to you alone?"

"Don't be absurd," Hawel replied. "I have no secrets from my wife. Besides, you must be hungry. Abigail, would you mind preparing the remains of that roast? Come on, Ian; sit down!"

Ian grudgingly took a seat at their long wooden dinner table, and Hawel sat opposite him. "Look, I really need to speak to you al-"

"Shhhh!" the wizard hissed as soon as his wife left the room, then promptly readjusted his spectacles. "Abigail's a terrible eavesdrop. If she knows you want to talk just to me, we won't be able to pass a single private word between us. Just talk freely whenever she's out of the room."

"Alright. Look..." He hesitated, unsure of how to make his request. "Have you... ever thought of going back to adventuring?"

"Go back to?" Hawel echoed, a twinkle in his eye. "I'm adventuring all the time now. Which reminds me..." He got up, left the room, and shortly returned with a game board slightly larger than a chess set. He set it gingerly upon the dinner table so as not to disturb the figurines that stood on the squares of the board. "This scenario's been tickling my brain for weeks. You have innocents in need of rescuing here," he said, pointing to the relevant parts of the board as he went along. "The enemy has them cornered. You're attacking in two groups, but the enemy is starting to curl around them at these points, effectively surrounding you. As you can see, the odds are the usual. What do you do?"

Ian put a hand to his jaw and said in a bored tone, "Who's on your force? You can't make good tactical decisions if you don't know the strengths and weaknesses of your men."

"Ah. Well, say the leader is you, and the rest are... say... Knuckles."

"Retreat," he answered immediately. "Your force is lacking in variety, limited in its potential for defensive formations, and all but one of them is probably going to ignore every damn order you give."

"Come on, be serious for one moment."

"I'm dead serious."

"The hostages!"

"You can't save them, and it does them no good for you to die with them."

Hawel shook his head. "What happened to the Ian I knew? The one who always said it's better to die a hero than to live a coward?"

"First of all, I did not 'always' say that. I said it _once_, and that was when I was flirting with a girl in Moun. Second of all..." He dropped his hand from his jaw. "...I know better now."

"Very well, then... Say the force is the same one that -"

A voice piped up, "Daddy, who's he?"

Ian looked down and saw a small, thin-faced boy standing just behind Hawel. He was dressed in a frill-less white nightgown, and his small eyes peered curiously at him. "Chaz!" Hawel gasped in good-natured remonstrance. "What are you doing up?"

"I'm not tired!" the boy pouted as his father hoisted him up on his lap. Ian sighed inwardly; this was not going the way he wanted it to.

"This is Chaz, my youngest. Chaz, say hi to your uncle Ian."

"Ah... hello there, kid," Ian said awkwardly. He didn't know how he was supposed to talk to a child. He'd been young himself when he joined the war against the devils, and for years afterward he only saw children at a distance, cheering him whenever he walked through the streets of a town. It wasn't until he'd settled in with Kaylee that he began to really encounter children. He remembered how she used to gently tease him for his cowardice... she hadn't done it in years, though. Had she noticed how it bothered him? Shaking away that memory, he tried tousling Chaz's hair. "Boy, you've grown. You were just learning to walk last time I saw you."

Chaz wrinkled his nose. "You smell stinky."

"...Yeah. A few weeks without bathing, capped off by a hard two-day hike through the woods will do that to you."

While Chaz frowned in perplexity, Hawel commented, "You should have come a few days earlier. Sonette was up here for a visit last week."

"Again? We saw her just four or five months ago!"

"She likes seeing my kids, I guess."

Ian snorted. "I'll say. Parmecia isn't exactly a hop, skip, and a jump away. So how is she?"

"Her usual sprightly self," Hawel smiled.

"Auntie Sonette stole daddy's glasses!" Chaz giggled.

"That _wasn't_ funny," Hawel said with a firm frown. "If she hadn't apologized after I tripped and banged my head on the wall, I doubt I'd have let her stay a moment longer in my house. Back to bed now, Chaz."

"He's weird." He pointed accusatorily at Ian.

"See? If you get up in the middle of the night, you meet daddy's scary friends. There's a lesson for you." He set Chaz down on the floor. "Upstairs to bed, now."

As the boy headed back to his bedroom, Ian said, "I wish I had a son that age."

"It's funny, isn't it. When we were young, who among us would have guessed that I'd be having children before you? Never mind five of them."

Abigail came in at this point with the remains of the roast and set it before Ian. He thanked her and said to Hawel, "I guess it shows that luck favors brown-haired runts with no sense of humor. But tell me -" -he picked up one of the figurines from the game board- "- why do you bother with these silly strategy studies? You can't be thinking of training a combat force."

"It's an intellectual diversion," Hawel said defensively.

"What about your interest in the Devil Kings and the seals? Tired of it?"

"For the Light's sake, Ian, I exhausted that study years before you married Kailena! I've finished writing a whole book on the subject! The only way I could learn any more about Arc Valley and the Devil Kings is by talking to one of the Devil Kings themselves. Darksol would hardly be pleased to answer questions from me, and Lucifer doesn't seem to be in Arc Valley."

Ian set down the figurine and got down to feasting on the roast. "What about the one who helped us defeat Darksol? Zeon, wasn't it? He was in Arc Valley then; shouldn't be a problem to talk to him."

Hawel's face slightly paled at the suggestion. "That's a very bad idea."

"Just talking to him?"

"From what I've gathered in my studies," Hawel said, "...Zeon is as cunning and intelligent as Darksol, and his raw power makes the latter's seem pitiful. Fortunately, the seal on Zeon is different from the one that was placed on Darksol and Lucifer - much more binding. I shudder when I contemplate what would have happened if Zeon had had the same freedom Darksol had before your uncle Max defeated him. Even talking to Zeon would give him enough of a link to our realm that he might break through." When Ian said nothing in reply, he added, "And luck had nothing to do with it."

"With what?"

"My children. Your problem, Ian," he said, settling back in his chair, "...is you took too long to realize what life is all about. You were raised to think life is about grand dreams, when in fact it's much simpler, much more... common. Everyone needs a nest. When you outgrow the one you were born in, you fly away to build one of your own. That's all it takes to be happy and fulfilled." He cast a glance at his old friend. "Your mistake was, once you left the nest, you kept on flying. ...Ah, but don't let me get you depressed about it. You'll have a son sooner or later; there's still time."

"I already have a son." Hawel nearly fell off his chair. _About time we got on the subject,_ Ian thought with mild irritation."He's probably a couple months old already."

Hawel broke into a laugh. "You old... and how long were you going to wait before letting that one out? Congratulations! Why didn't you bring Kailena with you?"

"Because this isn't a damn visit," Ian snapped. "I've left her and the baby back at my house, and I'm not going back. I'm too damn old for this raising children shit."

"I... I'm not sure I follow you..."

"I don't want to deal with a damn baby. So I'm getting away from home, and becoming a nomad again. It's going to be as if the past five years never happened. That clear enough for you?"

Hawel's mouth perked into a tiny grin.

"What's so damn funny!?"

"Nothing... nothing," the wizard replied, forcing the grin from his face. "Watch the language. Abigail might walk back in here at any moment."

"Look... all I need are some basic supplies to get myself started."

"I'll give you enough food for your trip back to Granseal. You won't need anything more than that."

"Didn't you hear what I just said? I'm not going back there."

"So you say." Hawel removed his spectacles and began leisurely cleaning them. "Pardon me for being blunt, Ian - I can see that you were taken off-guard by this turn of events - but your wife must be worried sick, so I'm morally obligated to send you back home as soon as possible. I can't entertain this fantasy of yours about leaving her. So. You've been trying to have this baby for five years, and now you say you don't want one?"

"I... never really thought about how old I was when I married Kaylee." He rested his head wearily in his hand. "I realize now, I just can't raise a child at my age. It's too hard."

"Well, isn't that something. Ian, leader of the legendary Shining Force, giving up on something because it's too hard." Hawel smiled. "Ian, responsibilities are always hard. You've never been a man to run away from yours."

"Maybe you don't know me as well as you think."

"Or maybe you aren't as complicated a person as you'd like to think," he retorted.

"I caught you off-guard with that strategy problem just now, didn't I?"

"That was a matter of wisdom, not character. Besides, there's your wife to think of. You love her, don't you?"

Ian smiled bitterly. "If I loved Kaylee, I wouldn't be leaving her, would I?"

"You didn't say no," Hawel noted. "You're clearly very confused now, Ian, so let me spell things out for you. Yes, you love your wife, and no, you aren't going to abandon your family."

"Who do you think you are - telling me how I feel about her?" Ian growled. "I married Kaylee almost as soon as we met; all I was looking for was a mother for my child. What kind of basis is that for love?"

"I've seen you with her a number of times, and heard you speak of her twice as often. Your feelings are obvious." Hawel plucked at his chin in thought. "I don't know what it is... Maybe you feel indebted to her, because she made you happy. Maybe it's deeper than that; maybe she really is your soul mate. Most likely, you've been with her so long that that soft heart of yours can't help but be attached to her. Whatever it is, you do love her. And I know you wouldn't give up on your child so easily."

"If he even is my child..." Ian said softly, the possibility occurring to him with a jolt.

"What do you mean?"

"I..." He cast a furtive glance at the doorway to see if anyone might be there, then leaned closer to whisper to Hawel, "I haven't been... completely satisfying Kaylee's needs... frequency-wise, I mean. I've had to turn down her advances at least once a week. It wouldn't surprise me if she found a lover. I mean, what are the odds I'd be able to give her a child now, after five years of failure? A lot more likely she got it from someone young and virile."

"...I see." Hawel bit his lip.

"Well...?"

"I'm sorry, Ian. I don't know your wife well enough to tell you if it could be true or not. But I do know you won't abandon your child because of that possibility." Hawel stood up. "Let me get you that food for your trip."

Ian was silent all the while Hawel packed a sack full of bread and fruit. But when he handed it to him, Ian said, "You're forgetting one thing, Hawel. My father abandoned me. Like father..." -he hefted the sack onto his back- "...like son."

"That's not the way you want it to be, Ian."

"I'm telling you now that it is. You had your whole life to get ready for children... I spent my life getting ready for something else. A leopard can't change his spots."

----------------------

Hawel waved goodbye to Ian as he walked out the door. "Send us a letter when the baby's born, so we can come see him!"

Ian shot back an obscenity in reply.

He sighed as he watched Ian go. The stubborn man was heading in the opposite direction of Granseal, but Hawel wasn't concerned. _Poor fellow. Always trying to fight his fate._

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Ian had over a day's journey to work out his feelings of frustration and entrapment. Thus, he arrived home in a weary but amenable mood. Opening the door, he found his wife sitting with Astral, a mage who had moved to Granseal a year or two ago. Kailena was drying her tears with a handkerchief, but at the sound of the door opening she looked up and cried out, "Ian!"

"Well!" Astral said in a huff, getting to his feet with the air of one about to begin a lecture. "The prodigal returns! Do you mind telling us where in the far corners of the world you've been? Your wife has -"

"Astral, please," Kailena interrupted. "Thank you for coming, but could you leave Ian and me alone right now?"

"He doesn't look very penitent to me," Astral said, focusing his eyes at Ian. "I think he needs -"

"_I need_ to talk to him alone right now. Please, Astral."

"Oh, all right." He tore his eyes from Ian and walked toward the door. As he passed him, he shot one last look of reproach, which Ian returned with cold, indifferent eyes. Stepping up to the door, Astral announced, "My offer still stands, Kaylee. I'd be very happy to school your child."

"Maybe we should talk about that after he's been weaned," she replied pointedly.

"Oh yes, I suppose that makes sense," Astral blushed. "Well, good day..."

As soon as he was gone, Kailena flung her arms about Ian, pressing her face against his chest. Instinctively he put his hands around her waist and gently held her. "Oh gods, Ian, where did you go? I've been so upset, I thought I'd never see you again -"

"I'm sorry."

She rambled on, words nearly tumbling over each other, "...you just walked right out, didn't say a thing, what was I supposed to think..."

"I'm sorry."

"...the neighbors all know you left me now, I just know they're talking about it all the time, Kailena's marriage isn't so 'happily ever after' after all..."

"I'm sorry."

"...you just can't do things like that Ian, you just can't -"

"Hey," he said, silencing her with a kiss on her brow. "It's alright, Kaylee; I'm here. I just needed some time."

"Ian... you don't want this baby, do you?"

"Tell me one thing first." He sighed. "Is the kid mine?"

"What!?" She broke free of his arms and stepped away from him. She gaped at him for a moment in shock. "How... how can you even ask that?"

"Just tell me. Am I the father?" She didn't immediately answer. "I need to know."

"Damn it, Ian, of course you're the father!"

There was a moment of silence. Then Ian grinned. "I knew I'd have you cussing someday."

Kailena flushed. "That's not funny!"

"Sorry." He reached out, wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close again. She resisted at first, but his strength easily overcame hers. "It wouldn't have mattered if you'd cheated on me; I'd still love you. I just didn't think this old warhorse still had it in him to have a child," he said, rubbing her back to soothe her. In spite of himself, his voice crumbled and turned soft, overcome by emotion. "I'm lucky to have such a loyal wife. My little Kaylee."

"Ian... do you..."

"Yes. I'm glad we're going to have a son." He hated to lie, having always considered doing so an act of cowardice. But he didn't want to hurt Kaylee, and what difference did the truth make? Regardless of his groaning at having to be a father, he didn't want to lose his wife, and he wanted to do the best he could for his son. It wasn't the most pleasant future he could think of, but it was the only one he could live with.

"On my way back," he went on, "...I thought of a name. Bowie. A good warrior's name."

She nodded, happy tears slowly running down her face. "And... if it's a girl?"

That possibility had never occurred to him. For a moment he felt at a loss. He would love any child of his, male or female, especially as it would in all probability be his only one. But he'd wanted his child to follow after him when he died, to be a great warrior. The thought that his only child might be unable to accomplish that dream...

His jaw tightened. "It had better not be," he muttered.

"Ian?" she prodded anxiously. "What if it is a girl?"

Ian shook his head. "It won't be," he said confidently. "The gods owe me one or two. Giving me a son is the least they can do."

"But if -"

"There is no 'if'. You're going to have a son, and his name will be Bowie." She let out a sigh of discontent. Sensing that she was still worried about the possibility of a girl, he decided to take her mind off the subject. "Come on," he said, guiding her with an arm around her waist towards the bedroom. "We've been apart over three days. We should get some of the tension off."

There were several possible things he could have had in mind, but all question of which one he meant was erased when he began unbuckling his sword.

"Aren't you tired?" Kaylee asked with some concern. "You must have been walking all day..."

"Yeah, funny," he said with a slight smile. "As soon as I felt you in my arms again, I felt totally refreshed."

----------------------

Afterward he felt almost too exhausted to stay awake, the toll of his hard day's journey hitting him full force. He lay with one arm around his wife, occasionally reaching to feel the strands of her fiery hair with his fingers.

Once her breathing had fully calmed, she said, "Ian... if anyone asks, Bowie was conceived tonight."

He frowned. "You want me to lie?"

"No, I... I don't want anyone to think you were thinking of abandoning your son."

"Why should I give a damn what anyone thinks? Besides, you already told Astral."

"And I wish I hadn't. But you were gone for over _three days_, Ian... I kept quiet for a couple days, but I just had to tell someone sometime. And I didn't tell anyone besides Astral. He'll keep it secret."

"He can shout it across Grans for all I care."

"Ian! Stop thinking of yourself for a second and think of your son... of Bowie! Do you want people telling him that his father didn't want him?" Ian was reduced to silence. "We have to think of what's best for him now."

"...You're right." For a full minute they were quiet. "You're sure Astral will keep it a secret?"

"He will."

"By the way... What's this about that colossal ass teaching my son?"

"Ian, please. Astral's a little absent-minded, but he's really very wise. And he knows so much. Don't you want our son to be educated?"

"We don't need that cuckoo bird. I can teach Bowie myself."

She turned to him. "Would you?"

"It'll be hard getting time away from my work, but I'll manage it somehow." He closed his eyes and leaned back into his pillow. "I have to pass on something to my son."


	3. Chapter 3: Last Stand

Ian clutched his sword tighter as he glared at the creature soaring above. "Come down and fight, you coward." The winged thing seemed to be conducting the devils that were ravaging Granseal. Ian had slain over a dozen of them already, but being only one man, he couldn't systematically slaughter them or push them out of Granseal. The creature was also streaming lumps of flame down upon the village in some curious variation of a blaze spell. If he wanted to save Granseal, he had to stop the flier.

It was too high up to reach with his sword or a level 1 Spark. He positioned himself beneath the creature, defying the flame pods that it was raining down, and cried out "Spark!"

The level 4 spell shredded through the creature, drawing a satisfying cry of pain from its maw. It plummeted to the ground with a crash, and the townspeople nearby gave a loud cheer. Ian realized with astonishment that his dream had returned; in spite of his age, he had become a hero again.

_But now how I wanted it. I never wanted to see my hometown under attack again, especially not with my wife and son in harm's way. My glory isn't worth the price - it's not worth even one innocent person's life._

He gritted his teeth as he leveled his sword at his fallen foe. He would pay for this. "Call off the attack," he ordered. "And I won't cut off each of your fingers before I kill you."

The devil looked to him and smirked with a mouth barred by four long fangs and arrayed with a dozen unnaturally long and sharp teeth, and even Ian faltered at its appearance. It was akin to a gargoyle, but its skin had fallen away in numerous places, exposing not flesh, muscle, and bone, but thick metal thorns that glittered with the evil power that suspended the creature in its semblance of life. "So, you are the legendary Ian," it said. "The one who has given my master so much trouble in days past."

"Your master?"

"The true King of the Devils," the creature sneered. "Lucifer."

"He sends his lackeys to do wanton destruction?"

"I am no lackey! I am Elenoth, foremost among the Greater Devils!"

Ian snorted. "Why do devils always see themselves at a higher place in the scheme of things than they really are?"

"You doubt me? Well, this is no wanton destruction. I haven't even displayed my true power yet. We came here to flush out our enemies. Foremost of them, you."

"Call off the attack," Ian repeated.

"Certainly. As soon as you're dead!"

Ian expected that a single Spark spell wouldn't be enough to lay low a Greater Devil, so he was prepared when Elenoth ejected a filmy black mass from one of his open pores. He rolled out of the way and turned on his opponent, but the Greater Devil had already lunged onto his feet. Ian slashed his blade against his thorny insides, producing a sharp cracking sound, but Elenoth scarcely flinched. Ian had to pull back to avoid a lethal slash from his foe's claws.

It didn't look good. His sword could do little harm to Elenoth. Spark had staggered him, but he doubted he had enough strength left to cast it again. Still, perhaps his opponent had a heart within his chest. If so, thrusting the point of his sword directly into his breast might pierce it.

Ian slashed aside the strokes of the Greater Devil's claws, relentlessly pressing through his defenses. An opening came, and he made his move.

Elenoth side-stepped the point of the sword, and in the same breath slashed through Ian's right hamstrings. Ian cried out, in shock rather than pain, and fell to his knees. _Dammit... been out of practice so long... I'm too damn slow!_

Even on his knees, he thrust again at Elenoth's theoretical heart, hoping he would be surprised to find any fight left in him. Elenoth caught Ian's forearm before he could finish the stroke. He dug his claws in, ripping through muscle and snapping bones. Ian let out a loud curse. The sword dropped from his lifeless hand.

"Impressive," Elenoth remarked, grasping Ian's neck with one hand and leaning his heavily fanged face in close. "A normal man would be screaming for me to put him out of his agony now. I didn't even need to use my full powers to beat you, but still... you should be proud of yourself. Lucifer considered you the one real obstacle to the unsealing of his full powers."

Ian glared back into Elenoth's loathsome face. _If only I'd had a force to lead, I could have beaten him. ...Dammit. It can't end this way. This bastard isn't going to lay waste to the world the way he nearly did to Granseal. I don't have my sword at hand, and my magic is spent, but I'm not a warrior anymore anyway._

_I'm a carpenter._

And as always, he had his hammer attached to his belt. In one swift move, he pulled it free with his left hand and knocked out one of Elenoth's largest fangs. Elenoth howled in raw agony. Ian slammed his jaw with the hammer again, tearing out three smaller fangs and sending them tumbling down his gullet.

Blinded by pain and rage, Elenoth slashed Ian's throat open, a cut that went all the way through his arteries. For an instant, the hammer was still poised for another blow. Then Elenoth sliced through the flesh of his fingers, and it fell to the ground.

Ian stared ahead, and seeing the blood gushing from Elenoth's now empty teeth sockets he felt proud. But it didn't seem to matter. He could feel his life blood pouring out of his throat and knew that he had failed to protect his family, his home...

_Uncle Max..._

The world went black, and he never felt his body hit the ground.

----------------------

Ian's eyes gently opened. He was lying on some wonderfully soft bedding, and hovering around him - some standing, some sitting - were Kaylee, Hawel, Sonette, and Paige. Leaning his head to one side, he saw Cynthia seated there. He blinked and returned his head to normal position.

"So, there is a heaven," he said, feeling a little strange about the whole situation. Then he frowned. "Wait. Don't tell me all you guys are already dead too?"

Hawel, Sonette, and Paige broke into a short burst of chuckles. "No, and neither are you," Paige said. "A near thing, but Cynthia pulled ya through. Lucky we got here when we did."

Ian looked back to Cynthia with gratitude. "Thank you."

She shrugged. "You're welcome." Ian had noticed before that she was a bit cool to him, and wondered if it was just her way or if she was still sore at him for leaving without a word after Darksol's defeat. That had been painful for him as well; Cynthia had been like his kid sister almost since he'd known her. But he'd wanted a life on the road, and a life like that wasn't meant for Cynthia.

"Be careful with that right arm," Cynthia added. "The bones still need to set. And... I'm afraid I couldn't entirely save your left hand." Ian lifted the hand to see what she meant, and found that his middle finger was missing all but its first segment, ending in a crude nub. "I got your index finger back on fine, but that one was... a bit ruined."

"...That's okay."

"Thank the gods you're all right, Ian," Kailena said fervently. Her belly was swollen with their child, so she couldn't bend over to kiss him, but she clasped his right hand tightly. "Thank you so much, Cynthia."

Ian furrowed his brow. "So how did you guys know to come?"

"Granseal wasn't the first village to get hit by Elenoth, Ian," Hawel explained. "Ruburan seems to have been the first target. He was sly enough to make his escape, and he came to me for help. Just dumb luck that Sonette happened to be here for a visit."

"Actually," Sonette put in, "...the main reason I was visiting now was because I heard the baby was coming soon. So you have your child to thank for my being here." She giggled. "How about that! Not even born yet, and he's already helping save the world from the devils, just like his dad!"

"Are you through?" Hawel said grumpily. "This is a world-threatening situation."

"Awww, c'mon Hawel, you know I came to see you too. You don't need to be jealous of the baby."

"I'm not jealous of a baby!" He huffed and pushed his spectacles back in place, trying to ignore Sonette as she fondly kissed him on the cheek. "As I was saying: We decided to split up to gather everyone together and save who we could from Elenoth. Sonette and I found Cynthia and came here to get you and Paige. Hopefully Ruburan has found Mead and Knuckles by now."

"Where were you during the attack, by the way?" Ian asked Paige.

Paige flushed. "I got two or three of 'em, but then a beam from one of the burning houses fell on me. Couldn't get back up."

"So," Ian said, turning to Hawel so as not to increase Paige's embarrassment, "...did you pick up any information on this Elenoth?"

"You might say that," Hawel answered. "While Cynthia was tending to you, Paige, Sonette, and I went to check the tower. Elenoth was there, casting some spell to open the sealed door. It failed. When he saw us arrive, he fled; he wasn't ready to fight three of us at once. I suspect that spell drained him. But as he left, he gloated that we should meet him at the shrine if we want to die."

"The shrine... You think he meant the shrine where the Force Sword is kept?"

"It's the only logical possibility."

"Then he really is out to unseal Lucifer's full power."

"So it would seem." Hawel's brow furrowed. "It doesn't make sense, though. Why the attempt to wipe us out? Why didn't he just proceed with his plan and hope that we wouldn't realize anything was going on until it was too late?"

"Max, Adam, and I have fought Lucifer's minions before. He's always been impatient and foolhardy." He tried to sit up, but movement made his throat feel like it was tearing open again. He gingerly put a hand to his neck to reassure himself that it was still intact. "Anyway... He's screwed himself now. I take it you're all ready to help me stop him?"

A gloom fell over the group. "Seems we don't have much choice," Hawel said.

"Ian, wait," Kailena protested. "You're not going to..."

Ian nodded grimly. "The Shining Force rides again. Well, half of it, anyway."

"But... you're..." She blushed. "...you're all old."

"Actually, Cynthia hasn't even hit 40 yet," Paige put in. They all ignored him.

"Who else is going to do it, Kailena?" Hawel said wearily. "If Lucifer's plan succeeds, then by my estimate we have but a few short months before Grans Island is one massive graveyard. Granseal is a little short on heroes these days."

"I guess I can see that," Kailena ventured. "But Ian's about to become a father. You can't ask him to risk his life like that now! The rest of you can handle it, can't you?"

"And how is it any different for the rest of us?" Hawel retorted. "We all have a husband or wife and a child that we have to leave behind, some of us more than one."

"This isn't fair!" Kailena was coming to tears.

"I know. Life isn't."

"Ian!"

He met her gaze calmly. "Kaylee... I wish there were a better choice, but -"

"Liar! You're just looking for an excuse to get away from me and Bowie!" She turned and ran from the bedroom.

"Kaylee!" he called out in anguish, struggling to get up from bed in spite of his injury. Paige pushed him back down.

"Watch yourself! You want to undo Cynthia's work?"

"But..." Ian started, already gasping for breath from his effort.

"She won't listen to you now, anyway," Hawel said. "Don't worry about it. Women get a bit irrational when they're pregnant."

"So I've learned," he sighed. "But that... that _hurt_."

Hawel hesitated a moment. "Paige, Sonette, Cynthia... would you all mind stepping outside for a minute?" When they were gone, he said, "Why? We've gone over this, Ian; you would never willingly abandon your wife and son."

"But I still want to. Since Kaylee told me she was pregnant, a day hasn't gone by that I haven't wished I had a way out." He took a trembling breath. "Since there isn't one, I want to be with them all the time. I don't want to leave them and fight Elenoth; it's something I have to do. But... the thought of doing that... is so like the thought of leaving altogether..."

"I see." He got up to let the others back in. "Don't worry, Ian. Abigail and I have come through problems like this without even trying."

"Thanks. How long before I'll be healed enough to take on Elenoth, then?"

"Two days, at best," Cynthia answered. "The rest of us could use some extra sleep too. Besides, we need to wait for Ruburan to show up."

"Damn." He gave a weak laugh. "Guess I was worried for nothing. You'll have to go without me. It took Mishaela less than a day to revive Darksol; can't expect that Elenoth would do much worse."

Hawel shook his head. "From what I know of the seals, it would have taken her considerably longer than that. She was at Grans Tower much earlier than we thought; it was her dolls that we were dealing with much of the time. And Mishaela didn't have the Force Sword to contend with. There's a reason Elenoth told us to meet him at the shrine, and I can say with almost total certainty that it's because he knows he doesn't stand a chance of freeing Lucifer before we show up. If it were otherwise, he'd have told us to meet him at the Tower."

"And if Hawel says it's so, it must be so!" Sonette chimed in. Hawel blushed and looked to the floor.

"Every time I think Sonette's embarrassed you for the last time, she goes and does it again," Ian remarked. "I suppose it would be too much to ask for you guys to stay at Paige's for the next couple of days so I can work things out with Kaylee?"

"It would," Hawel nodded. "You'll need Cynthia to look after you almost constantly. You were fatally wounded; don't forget that. And I'll need to be here as well."

"You? Why?"

Hawel smiled. "Having Cynthia always at your bedside might start to look a bit suspicious to Kailena, don't you think?"

Ian glanced aside to Paige. "One other thing. Hawel's right - Granseal _is_ a bit short on heroes - but there is one person we might be able to add to our ranks." He closed his eyes. _Damn it. _"Could you ask Astral if he'd be willing to help?"


	4. Chapter 4: Passing of the Torch

When the day at last arrived for them to be on their way, Kailena was still berating him for leaving. She naturally chose the moment that he was about to walk out the door to assail him with more of her pleas. Feeling the tug of husbandly duty, Ian stood and listened to her in silence for close to half an hour before finally grunting, "The others are waiting for me," and picking up his traveling pack to leave.

"Sure, your friends! They've always mattered to you more than -"

"Shut your damn mouth!" he yelled at her, stunning her into silence. "I'm sick of listening to your bullshit! You haven't listened to a damn word I've said. I want to stay here, and I don't want to put my life in danger fighting the devils! You just refuse to understand that I'm not just doing this for me, I'm not even doing it just for the rest of the world... I'm doing it for you and Bowie, too."

There was a dead silence. Ian wanted to curse her, but he bit his lip to keep it in. He turned and stomped out the door.

Rain slapped into his face as soon as he stepped outside. It was a light rain, a swath of infinitesimal droplets, but the wind was whipping it about into waves of chill. _Lovely day to march off to war,_ he grumbled silently as he walked towards the place where his troops were meeting. _What a lovely goodbye, too. So this is the thanks I get for trying to protect my wife and son._

"Ian!" He turned and saw Kaylee standing outside their home, already getting wet from the rain. Broken by her inability to make him stay, her face held no more reproof, only the ache of love. "Aren't you... aren't you going to say goodbye to your son?"

Ian was silent a moment, considering. Of course he would say goodbye to his son, but since she was standing there, he had the opportunity to do more than that.

He came to his decision quickly, and with one swift motion pulled Kaylee to him and forced his mouth over hers in a fierce kiss. Both of their bodies had to lean forward to get over the impediment of her pregnant belly, and the rain continued to splash its chill strokes upon them, but the experience was nevertheless more than pleasurable. He burned it into his memory, knowing he might need it to sustain him in the days to come. When he released her, she just stared ahead in a daze, caught between enchantment and indignation. Ian bent down and gently lifted up the cloth around her womb, laying a hand there to feel for his son.

"Goodbye, Bowie," he whispered. "Try not to go anywhere until I get back, huh?" Feeling a kick, Ian smiled. Whispering even more softly, he said, "And if I don't make it back... try not to make the same mistakes your father and grandfather did."

He stood back up and said to Kaylee, "Now get back inside. You'll catch your death out here."

She nodded. But as she stepped through the doorway, she cast one last look back at Ian.

"I'll be back," he said. "I promise."

----------------------

"He promised," Kailena sobbed, staring in disbelief at Hawel, who stood downcast in her doorway. "He promised!"

"I'm sorry."

For a moment neither knew what to say. Then she demanded, "Where is he? Where is... his body?" She almost choked on the words.

Hawel shook his head. "There is none. Elenoth left only the barest ashes... and those blew away…" Standing behind him, Sonette gave Hawel's shoulder a supportive squeeze.

Mead stepped forward and presented Ian's sword. "This... is all that's left." As she took it, he said in a strong voice, "As Captain of the guards, I will put a request to His Royal Highness for a military service with full honors. No one has served Granseal as well as Ian did." Kailena gave no answer, but only clutched the hilt of Ian's sword, pouring her tears onto it. "He didn't die in vain, Kailena. We never would have beaten Elenoth without his leadership. I swear it."

"Why..." she gasped out. "Why didn't you protect him?"

"This wasn't easy on any of us, Kailena. We lost Cynthia as well..." Hawel said. "If... if you need anything..."

"Thank you, Hawel," she interrupted in a hoarse voice. "But if you don't mind... I'd rather not see any of you again."

"I understand," he nodded. "If you ever feel differently, though... don't be afraid to knock on my door."

The three of them turned away, leaving Kailena to her grief.

Finding herself too weary to continue bearing Ian's sword, she laid it to rest on the dining table. Bowie would be coming out any day now; the midwife was already waiting in the other room. Ian would have been able to see his son born... had he lived.

Fresh tears fell from her eyes. She wondered what she was supposed to do... what place she and Bowie had in the world now, with no father. Wiping the tears away, she wandered to the bedroom as though in a trance, unable to let her sorrow fully hit her. And there was Ian, sitting on the bed, waiting for her.

"I'm sorry, Kaylee."

She leaned against the doorframe to steady herself. "I begged you not to go, Ian, I begged you..."

"I had to. And you know why." He looked her in the eyes. "I tried my best, Kaylee. I really did. I'm sorry I can't be here for the birth of my son."

"What am I supposed to do now? How can I take care of Bowie... without you?"

"You'll manage somehow. Don't forget that bit of money I had saved up."

"You said you were going to teach Bowie."

Ian smiled. "Astral can do it. I think you're ready for more of this than you realize, Kaylee. Just be brave."

"I... I'll try." She clutched a hand to her heart.

Ian began to fade away. "Goodbye, Kaylee. I'll always love you..."

For a minute Kailena did not move. She only stared at the bed they'd once shared. At the thought that his comforting warmth beside her would be gone for every night thereafter, she shivered and left the bedroom, returning to where she'd laid Ian's sword. She let out a deep sigh as she sat down; she was more tired than she'd thought. She laid one hand on her belly, the other on the sword.

"Bowie? This is your father's sword." She slowly ran her fingers over the hilt. "It's much too heavy for you to use for a long while yet. But someday, it will be yours. Until then, my little Bowie, I'll be here for you."

A smile broke onto her face as she felt the baby stirring within her. "You're strong for your age. Maybe..." A note of hope crept into her voice, and she could feel her sense of loss ever so slightly fade. "Maybe you'll grow up to be a warrior. Just like your father..."

END


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